baby you're like a time bomb

[LYLA ROSE HAWTHORNE]

It was a cold, particularly windy Saturday afternoon in London and it was a shame that weather wasn't a little warmer or at least less windy, because Lyla had the day off from her training. However, there was never a day off in her world. She spent the morning exercising before taking a shower and getting ready to go out. She had to run a few errands in Diagon Alley and more importantly, she had set her mind on visiting the bakery located there. The blonde had a big sweet tooth and a particular craving for a slice of chocolate cake- one of her favorite desserts. That was the goal today: errands and then chocolate cake. That would be her reward for dealing with the idiots in the public. She didn't mind public places but when it was a small, narrow space like Diagon Alley, other witches and wizards were always bumping into her or stopping in the middle of the alley. It got on her nerves that people didn't have the common sense to at least walk towards the side before stopping in front of others, but what could she do?

It was noon and the wind was unrelenting as the blonde pushed her way through walkway. She tucked her head down a little bit to try to allow the top of her head to take some of the wind instead of her face because her lips were already feeling chapped. The crowd here was as expected, but all she could do was think about how crowded it was during July and August with the Hogwarts students and be grateful for the conditions today. She passed the bakery, focused on heading to Gringotts when she stepped aside and stopped, smelling the sweet smell of the goods inside being baked. Okay...Maybe bakery first. she decided and turned back and entered the bakery.


In a few minutes she had a slice of chocolate cake topped with frosting and her mouth was watering. With a small smile, she sat down at a quiet table towards the corner of the shop (it was actually the only one not taken by someone else) and settled herself. Before taking a bite she looked around, contemplating whether or not to pick up another pastry while she was here. However, her icy eyes were met with a few stares and a scowling look from a group of people situated on the other end of the shop. She sighed. She was starting to get used to these sorts of looks and she figured she deserved it. While some thought it was an awesome act of defense for her team, others thought that striking down the referee was a shameful and low act. She was somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. "Should I get up and sit there so you have a better view?"she sassed at them coolly before taking a bite of her cake.


tagged: @tan

[Deleted]

(Just to let it be known, I play Alpin the Bonfire Bakery Owner and he wouldn't treat Lyla like that, haha)

Ronny was in love, actually in love, and now wanted to show Saffira Mynk how much he loved her every chance he got. Today it was picking up some of her favorite cookies from the Bonfire Bakery. Whistling as he stepped in, he stopped when he heard Lyla's reaction to the stares.

"Personally I don't think there could be a bad view of you, pretty lady," said Ronny. His flirt was merely a friendly one. He knew Lyla had some issues that got her booted out of the Pro Leagues, but that didn't halt his friendship with her. In fact, he was concerned about her and had been wondering how she was doing. He smiled at Lyla, a warm, genuine one, temporarily stashing away his celeb persona. "Hey Lyla, good to see you again. What brings you to the bakery?"

LYLA ROSE HAWTHORNE

[LYLA ROSE HAWTHORNE]

The small group of for rather rude people remained silent at her reaction to her relief. Although Lyla could be confrontational at times, she often later regretted it. However, before anything could stir up between the group and Lyla, another man had walked intot he bakery and his voice snapped her out of her tunnel vision of annoyance. Ronny "The Tornado", a friend she had met through the Pro-Quidditch leagues, had entered and threw a friendly flirt at her. She smiled and shot a friendly flirt back. "Oh Ronny, the only bad view of me is when I'm in the same room as someone as handsome as you." she snickered a bit after, knowing that it was a friendly and not serious flirting.

"Good to see you too!" the blonde smiled, her icy blue eyes turning warmer in the presence of a friend. Meanwhile, the group that had been staring at her had left, which had also eased her mind. "Oh you know I have a sweet tooth." she smiled, pointing down at her chocolate cake. Her sweet tooth was one of the most noticeable eating habits she had. In fact, before most Quidditch games, she used to bring candy bars or some sort of sweet to snack on before hand to ease her nerves. "Come! Sit a little and chat, it's been a while." she patted the seat next to her, offering him a seat.

(AH I am so sorry! I must have worded it horribly. I was referring to a random small group of customers, not the shop owner )

[Deleted]

Ronny smiled back at her response to his flirtation.

"Well, let's face it, Lyla, we're two hotties," he said. "We have to endure the burdens of our sexiness." He smiled and winked at her. When she asked if he could sit and chat, he raised a finger.

"Sure," he said. "Give me just a minute to put in a cookie order. I have a special lady who has a sweet tooth too. Guess you've heard by now I'm dating Saffira Mynk from the Wanderers." It was all over the Daily Prophet. Ronny and Saffira has been strong public rivals on the Pitch, but few knew until recently how much they liked each other. Ronny made the cookie order, then popped over to sit with his friend while Alpin baked them.

"So I heard the news about you as well," he said. "I'm sorry to hear about it. I always thought you were a great player. Have you been alright since.. well, you know?"

LYLA ROSE HAWTHORNE

[LYLA ROSE HAWTHORNE]

At first, Lyla's first impressions of Ronny weren't very good because she had assumed that his personality on the Quidditch pitch was how he was all the time, but once she got to know him a little better, that assumption quickly changed. "Oh my, what a burden we have to endure." she sarcastically sighed. She found great relief in joking around with easy going people like Ronny.

"Oh really?" the blonde gasped at the news. She had been avoiding the Daily Prophet since she had left Quidditch and joined the Ministry because she was avoiding any and all negative attention that may have been given to her. She didn't need more negativity. "That's honestly such a surprise, you two are the last people I would imagine together." she blurted out perhaps a little to bluntly, and looked down for a second, hoping it didn't cross him the wrong way. Hopefully by now he knew Lyla meant no harm being a little too blunt at times.

She took a bite of her chocolate cake as Ronny took a seat next to her. "I've been better, but I'm holding in there. I miss the pitch." she admitted a little glumly to him. She did miss the wind in her face, playing the game, and her teammates, but she tried not to dwell on that. She regretted what she did deeply, but there was nothing else she could do about that but to move on. "But I did manage to get a slot in the Ministry. You're looking at future Auror." she smiled brightly, truly happy with her new path.

[Deleted]

Ronny chuckled about Lyla saying he and Saffira were the last people she thought would be a couple.

"Well you're not the only one," he said. "But really the whole rivalry act is about as real as how full of myself I act to the public eye. Truth is, she and I have fancied one another since we went to Hogwarts."

Ronny listened to her, understanding how she must have missed the Pitch. Quidditch was of course a huge part of his life. He couldn't imagine leaving it behind.

"Well if you ever want to come out and just play around on the Tornadoes' Pitch for old time's sake, I'm sure I can arrange something," he offered.

She then smiled about her being a future Auror. He was glad she was getting back on her feet and would have a steady career.

"That's awesome, Lyla," he said. "I know you'll rock as one. I doubt those dark magic users will try to cause any additional trouble once they run into you. Seriously though, I wish you the best as always, my friend."

LYLA ROSE HAWTHORNE

[LYLA ROSE HAWTHORNE]

Her eyebrows rose, surprised to hear that the two had such a history together. "I wish you two the best! I'm happy for you." she about squealed as she smiled at her friend. If only she had that luck in the romance department. Her most recent relationship ended in an annulment and that was years ago. "You'll have to play love guru for me sometime." Lyla joked, reaching across and poking him in the arm.

A nostalgic smile spread across her face at his offer. "Thank you, Ronny." she thought about it, deciding it would be a while until she allowed herself back on any pitch. She loved Quidditch but there was hesitation and a sense of anxiety that came to her at the thought of getting back on one, even if it was just to play around. She didn't let that show, though.

The blonde nodded, proud of her new position. "You bet they won't! I'm a force to be reckoned with." she pretended to flex before taking another bite of her chocolate cake. "Y'know, I'll need to officially meet your new babe sometime." she suggested. Getting out more and associating with positive people such as Ronny would do her a lot of good. Ilsa was great to her too, but she knew she couldn't rely on her and bug her every time she felt lonely and sad. She had to have other people.

tagged: @tan

[Deleted]

Ronny smiled when Lyla said she was happy for him and Saffira, then chuckled when she asked him to be love guru.

"Well, I'll see what I can do," he said. "I mean, you're already beautiful and smart, so not sure what else I can add if I ever put in a good word for you. But I'll think of something."

He smiled when she thanked him for the chance to play on the Pitch.

"What are friends for?" he said. "Plus, you and I need another showdown some time. We had some nice ones in the past."

Ronny was glad she had the fire to be an Auror. Given all the horror stories he had heard as of late about the dark magic users loose, she would have to be ready to go out into the field.

"Give'em Taratarus, Lyla!" he said, chuckling about the flexing. "And yeah definitely. I'm sure Saffira would like to meet you too. You two have a few things in common in fact, patiently putting up with my celebrity persona BS for starters." He smirked and winked at her.

LYLA ROSE HAWTHORNE

[LYLA ROSE HAWTHORNE]

Oh the showdowns of Quidditch. Sometimes things got intense, especially as the Beater because you were able to target people with the purpose to knock them off their brooms. She laughed, remembering a few of the times they had played against each other. "Oh Ronny, I remember before I got to know you, I used to aim Bludgers your way on purpose to knock that on-the-pitch arrogance out of you." She found it so ironic how back then, if someone told Lyla that in the future, that she would be sitting here chatting with "the Tornado", she'd probably laugh in their face and call them a lunatic.

Lyla smiled before taking the last bite of her chocolate cake. "Well let me know whenever you two are ready to take on a third wheel." she threw the offer out there for him to take up if he and Saffira wished. "I think if she has the patience to put up with your alter ego," she winked at him, poking fun at him, "then she should be able to handle me." she smiled, half joking and half serious. While she had the intentions to be friendly to everyone she encountered, that didn't always work because of her bluntness and her hot head. Typically, her friends consisted of people who didn't get insulted easily and people with lots of patience. "I'm going to go ahead and get going though, I've got to run and do these errands... plus if I don't get out of here soon, leave here broke and thirty pounds heavier." she joked, standing up and walking towards the other side of the table, offering him a brief friendly hug before they departed.


tagged: @tan

[Deleted]

Ronny laughed about Lyla sending the Bludgers his way. He recalled that well.

"And you came pretty damn close," he said. "But I don't blame you. Even I have wanted to show up some people on the Pitch. I'm really glad we became friends after a while or else you probably would have sent me to St. Mungo's."

Ronny figured his offer might come off as having her be a third wheel. He didn't intend it to be.

"Trust me, the last thing Saff or I would do would be to make you feel uncomfortable with us," he said. "You need some fun in your life again, and I want to help."

Ronny hugged his friend back before she departed, giving her a friendly kiss on the cheek as well.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" he said. "Take care of yourself, Lyla, and know you have my support no matter what."

LYLA ROSE HAWTHORNE